We Also Serve Who Only Stand To Watch

The world looks on as the people of Syria are slaughtered in various ways. Shootings, bombings, burnings, starvings and gassings. Over 100,000 women and children and soldiers have died so far in a battle that has a dictator apposed by a group of factions which have a variety of goals. The great powers watch but secretly arm  both sides.

Suddenly the use of poison gas was introduced as a weapon against the people of Syria. The USA and others come to life and say that this cannot continue. We must punish the government forces by a means that is yet undetermined. We will not take sides so let the war continue as any punitive measure will not be to rid the country of the dictator but to punish and slap the hand of the man who introduced this new weapon of war.

How ridiculous for the world powers to blow up a few buildings and facilities and then let the war continue.It would be a good way of getting rid of weapons that are probably older and need to be replaced so drop them on Syria as a token response to the problem. We all know about the story of the camel getting his nose in the tent and eventually became the main occupant. This trouble in the Mid-East is a time bomb and is not being addressed properly.

The United Nations is hoping for a solution but in this case we have Syria, Russia, China on one side and The western powers on the other. Both sides are staring the other side down and it could flare up to become the next great conflict to tear world peace apart. Little Israel is very quiet at this time because they sit in fear of an open war in the region as they would be the first to feel the sting of a mid-East conflict.

When will we learn that dictators cause problems and when you have a foreign policy that permits them to act within the civilized world with impunity there will be flare ups when the people under the dictator have had enough and seek freedom. Eventually an international force will have to be involved so get on with the job and save what is left of a once proud civilization but has been reduced to a territory without hope.

Where are our world leaders and what are they doing to end the conflict? Are they also only going to stand and watch?

Rambling Thoughts

There are so many stories out there in the news today that it is hard to imagine so many negatives exist. The news media wish to sell its product and so pick up the flashy stories about crime and violence. International news is usually about violence and wars with ordinary people suffering. Few people trust our leaders and fewer people believe that governments work for the ordinary citizens.

The United Nations has lost its power because the big 8 power nations act outside the jurisdiction of the UN charter whenever it's not in its interest. When the charter was signed it appeared at that time we would have a world sanctioning body prepared to monitor the affairs of the worlds nations and settle differences that would arise from time to time. Lester B Pearson was one of the great leaders and made considerable impact by establishing the Blue Beret Peace Keeping Force. 

The super powers have hi-jacked the UN by having veto power and right today the UN is unable to act against Syria because three of the super powers will not let it happen because it is against its national interest. The democratic process is followed to some degree but when some nations have greater power than others the system fails.

There are so many hot button issues in the world today that it is impossible to act on them as there are divides in the UN and the idea of a world police force is far removed from the UN charter. The UN is effective in providing aid  to  countries suffering disasters  such as the one in Haiti. Even there the flow of relief  was slow and mainly ineffective. In African countries where warring populations are in conflict and horrible acts are regularly carried out the UN has no ability to correct the situation.

In spite of all the mess it feels great to live in Canada.

Remembrance Day

 

November 11th has always been an important day for me. From earliest days during our school life there was a special emphasis given to this day. It was a declared holiday for many years but now it is celebrated without the holiday. As youngsters we were treated to veterans coming to our classes and sharing their stories with us. It was interesting that rarely was there a long speech about the actual war but rather what the war meant to the world and we in particular.

Later when I was involved in education we had students competing for the honour of representing our area in public speaking and essay writing. I felt that the little services held in a class or a school were very meaningful when attended to by a Legion Member. The children wore poppies and recited the poem,In Flanders Fields and there were tears from the older members of the gathering as so many were affected by the war.

I have personal feelings about this most important day as many of my immediate family were members of the Canadian Armed Forces during the first and second war.My father was a second world volunteer and went off to war only to find out that he was not suitable due to physical requirements and was sent home after basic training. He was given a volunteers badge which I still treasure and is a main part of my collection. Dad's wedgie is still in my possession and along with my own hold a respectful  place in my room of memorabilia.

In a way I feel fortunate to live in a time and place where I never was called upon to serve my country. I did serve as an officer in the Canadian Militia for years in a Scottish Regiment as did my Dad but I was too young for the Korean war and too old now to serve.

There are many ways to honour the memory of the men and women who served and died for our freedom. November 11th is a symbolic date. Every day there are opportunities to remember. Be positive and supportive when our people come home from war torn countries and suffer physical and mental disabilities. Support legislation that gives our vets a proper support pension and medical facilities. Be vocal in your support and let people know you care about those who have served on our behalf and most of all try to make Canada's foreign policy one of peace and caring for the oppressed and needy.

Oil, Greed, Life, Freedom

Rarely has there been such a clear picture of  the western societies greed for money through oil as right now. America and its allies have propped up ugly dictators for years to protect the billionaires who control the energy of the world. We always hear the excuse that their actions are in the name of national interest. #@#@#%$^%. It is national interest for sure, national interest meaning the multinational oil companies having their cheap oil for profit.

The scam is always the same. Find a person who can control the country by whatever means necessary.Prop him up with a supply of arms to be used to control the people and give him a bundle of money without care to see that the money will be used to give the residents a better life. A better life like having a share in government, maybe even a vote. Provide essential services like health care, housing and education and a security system where law and order Publish Postmake it safe. Sound familiar, well look at Iraq, Panama, Honduras, Egypt, Vietnam, Libya, Saudi Arabia and a dozen other countries. These were not our friends and we were not defending freedom but protecting the oil interests.

We get so sick when we hear and see the pictures of our public leaders playing up to these evil people such as Libya's famous evil sons being met by our top officials, when we know full well that the result will be making them more powerful and more respected in the global society. Case in point - a few years ago American leadership turned a blind eye to conditions in Libya knowing full well about the evil perpetrated against Libyan citizens. Shortly after the pictures and hugging, American oil giants began developing the oil resources of that country. Monies transferred to Libya could have given a better life to the people but most if not all  went into the coffers of the dictator. Libya then bought arms and ammunition as well as sniper rifles to control its people. A great deal!!!

I could go on and site a dozen such deals over the last years but you get the picture. Our foreign policies of the western world are not meeting the needs of this century. With the communication systems today everyone can see how the people around the world live, and the have nots want a share of the resources available. The brave people who suffered for 42 years under its dictator now are willing to go unarmed  against machine guns and bombs to capture their freedom. What are we doing to help these people while they die? We make resolutions. This will help but they need help now and the western world should support these emerging democracies before some other force fills the gap.

March seems to be coming in like a lion in the Middle East. We hope it will leave like a lamb and peace will come to these troubled people. It is a simple choice. Oil and greed, or life and freedom.

Flashback 1944

I was watching a news clip from the CNN war zone and without trying my mind jumped backwards to 1944. This summer Theresa and I visited Cape Breton and my home town, and we stopped the car along the shores of Sydney Harbour. I got out and surveyed the landscape and the ruins of a once vital defence station during WWII. I was surprised to see the foundations of the naval guns still intact and the living quarters underground there where they were 66 years ago.

As a young child I remember clearly the naval gun placements along the shore line in Sydney Harbour, and along Lockman's beach in particular. During the war there was a huge net across the harbour entrance, opened and closed by two small tugboats to guard against enemy intrusions. One day I was on the beach with my Dad when one of the huge naval gun fired a shell out into the ocean; a practise round, but it scared me and shook the ground around us. Dad explained their need and said to be unafraid. That same day on the way home with a load of shore coal, we passed a bog where parachutes were dropped from a plane and soldiers were firing machine guns at these miniature chutes. We even got one and took it home.

That evening I talked to my Mom about the war and all the noise and war activity, and during our talk there was a blackout signalled by a siren. This took the war close to home and for years after I played in the old war facilities along our shore and wondered about war in general. Without a clear understanding of why there were wars, I began to formulate my feelings about aggression.

I was an aggressive young person, often engaged in fights and conflicts but never knew why. Years later I came to the conclusion that I was some of the problem, as I carried strong feelings about most things, and defended my beliefs with physical force on occasion. Perhaps my life was a microcosm of the world, and countries acted like people. As I was 8 years old at the time, that thought was good enough for then, but there were bigger issues and later in life I would explore them.

This problem we have with aggression in schools and in the world is of grave concern to me in my elder years. If only the UN could really take on the designed task and be the government of the world and solve those contentious issues before they become open conflict. I guess it is things that cannot be resolved like who owns the oil and diamonds and in the future, who owns the food and water.

West Point

President Obama chose to make his announcement about the war plans from one of Americas most respected Military Colleges. It was a beautiful setting for Obama to make his important speech. The speech was delivered in a simple but effective format. The president is long on presentation but brings us further into a conflict that seems to be necessary.

I observed the faces of the military personal and there were stern , tight clenched jaws as the President announced the need for another 30,000 bodies to be deployed in Afghanistan immediately.

We as a people, and I as an individual do not have all the facts but the President took three months to make this determination. Surely he knows of the tragic end for many more of the military who will come home in body bags or mained for life. The weight of this decision will define his term of office and we must respect his ability to make such decisions.

As I made my way up the beautiful Hudson River a year ago ferrying my son-in law's boat home to Oakville, I was impressed with this institution called West Point. It is situated on the south bank of the Hudson River about thirty five miles upstream from the City of New York.

It is a most peaceful sit with castle like structures rising among the hills and you could hardly connect this monument as the site where men and women learn how to wage war. I hope that their training makes them good officers and helps them make their charges safe for their mission far away in that foreign land.

This decision will impact all of us and my desire is that the mission will be worth the blood to be spilled over the next years.

Peace Keeping Week

Most people do not realize the we are into a special week in Canada.We celebrate this peace keeping week because for 40 years we Canadians were the best in the world at joining forces with the UN and helped to keep peace in war torn countries. We were the best as outlined in fact that when peace forces were formed we were at the top of the list for our participation.

In my lifetime Canada has sent its peacekeepers to numerous hot beds and did their job with hardly a loss of significant life. One life is one too many but considering the risky fields of action the blue beret stood for UN and forces that at times never had to fire a shot. The very presence of our brave troops signaled it was a time to cool it and begin talks for a permanent solution to the problem.

Canada has been in Cyprus for a lifetime and are the main force there and on their watch hardly a breech of the peace has happened. One incident at the beginning caused the death of 15 of our peacekeepers but since that time a handful.I am very proud of our armed forces but I am disturbed at our government for placing what was the best in the world at peacekeeping to a small combat unit in a war zone without hope of long term peace. Our value has been usurped and our effectiveness as a military power was never significant since the Korean War. Why the great turn around in our world role ? Why are so many of our troops giving their lives to a cause that was not ours in the first place.

We and America have been dragged into a cesspool of misdirected objectives and we are paying the price. Our previous role had us helping countries who asked us to be there and we left after our mission was complete with heads held high and the thanks of grateful countries. This mission will have us fighting a war without clear exit strategy and financial distress when we could use the resources here in Canada.

God bless our troops and I hope that someday we will return to the peaceful role we once cherished and actuated so competently.

Sunday Gardens.

There is something special about waking up to bright sunshine and hearing the birds singing and you realize that it is not a work day. You are able to relax and have your coffee - I prefer green tea - while wandering through my yard. In a way your property is your domain and you should feel free and secure in its use. Many of my friends find great comfort in their wandering around their treasured bushes, flowers and vegetable plots to help forget the hockey game last night when THE WINGS fell to defeat. Not a bad loss but time for rebuilding.

Sunday is special as there seems to be a lack of pressure and often the anticipation of a visit from family or friends. We are like that but we are retired and every day seems like a Sunday.The cherries need a little more sun and the strawberries better ripen soon or the squirrels will have destroyed the crop.

This morning as I was basking in the safety of my favourite chair I was overcome with the horrible feeling of sadness. Sadness brought on by the horrors of war. The papers have carried many accounts of our young men returning to their families after brutal combat missions and being left to their own devices to re-engage in normal society. Our troops need every consideration and communities can help by offering a helping hand and a smile which says I understand and appreciate.

Personally I have known several young men who became someone else when they returned home. I wish that the government who asked them to serve will look after them when they come home.

I am sorry to interject this sadness at a time of happiness in our own back yards. We are able to have this secure happiness because of them. Have your coffee in your garden - but think of them.